Washington (CNN) - Two months before Republicans will take over the House, the party's top man in the chamber signaled Thursday he had no intention of compromising his small-budget priorities in the coming weeks - even with the prospect of a federal government shutdown on the horizon.

"It's a shame that the Democratic majority didn't pass a budget, didn't pass any appropriation bills, and we're left with nothing but bad choices," said Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, unanimously chosen this week as Republican House leader for the incoming Congress - putting him in line to become the next speaker.FULL STORY

Washington (CNN) – Democratic leaders in the House and the Senate have decided to move ahead with votes after Thanksgiving to extend the Bush tax cuts for those making $250,000 or less.

These decisions come hours after Democratic leaders met at the White House with President Obama, where several sources say they talked extensively about the tax cuts. Until now, how or whether Democrats would proceed on the thorny issue of extending the Bush era tax cuts was unresolved.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - House Republicans agreed Thursday to continue their ban on requesting earmarks in the upcoming session of Congress.

The moratorium on pet projects will be written into the rules of the House when Republicans officially take control in January, therefore denying Democrats in that chamber the ability to receive such funds.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is hoping the freshman class of lawmakers, who arrived in Washington for orientation on Tuesday, will drive America to regulation-less "Prosperity Park."

Not so coincidentally, that's the goal of a politically-charged new board game the Chamber gave to more than 500 representatives and senators in Washington and all 50 state governors this week. Inside the box: a cacophony of regulatory disasters that could only be described as a businessperson's worst nightmare.

Washington (CNN) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer blasted Congressional Republicans on Thursday for forcing the White House to postpone a bipartisan post-election meeting with President Obama, which the White House had announced was scheduled for Thursday.

"I can never remember an instance when President Bush asked me or a Democrat in leadership to come down to meet with him that we did not accommodate our schedules to that request. I think that is not only respectful of the president of the United States, but it also furthers the ability to solve problems confronting our country," Hoyer said during a session with reporters on Capitol Hill.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Politics is serious business - but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail to the international stage, there's always something that gets a laugh or a second glance. Here are some of the things you might have missed.

'Mission Accomplished' banner finds a home

USA Today reports that the infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner which found its way onto the USS Lincoln during former President George W. Bush's speech on the war in Iraq, has found a home: At Bush's presidential library.Full Story